An adventurous bike tour of your lifetime through the beautiful countries of the himalayas. We at Himalayan Adventures will make sure you have a comfortable journey through Mongolia, China-Tibet and end the tour in Nepal.

(14th June- 13th July 2008)
OUTER MONGOLIA.
After arrival at UB we will ride southwards towards the China-Mongolia border, one passes from Outer Mongolia to Inner Mongolia to the town of Zamiin Uud. Riding southwards through the Gobi Desert, we will experience a landscape more wild and remote than anything previously passed through. Riding conditions in Mongolia are usually classed as “off-road” because few tracks are black-topped. The surface may be sandy, loose stones, rock or hard-pack, but technical enduro experience is not required when riding in the Gobi Desert.
The population density in this part of the country is less than 0.5 per square kilometer, with those families inhabiting this harsh land living a nomadic existence which has changed little since the days of Genghis Khan in the 13th century. Mongolians are very hospitable and will welcome visitors of any kind, so we are sure to have opportunities to visit local families along the way and experience their fascinating lifestyle. These people are self-sufficient, living with their herds of camels, horses, sheep, goats and cows, who provide for their basic needs. They live in traditional round white felt ger tents (yurt), moving several times each season to find better grazing for their animals.
Between Zamiin Uud and the capital city of Ulaanbaatar we pass through the provinces of Dornogobi (Eastern Gobi) and Tuv (Central), with the scenery becoming greener and more mountainous as we travel northwards. There are few permanent buildings and we pass only two small towns, Sainshand and Choir which are located on the route of the Trans Siberian Railway.

ITINERARY.
Day01. 14 June. 08. Arrive at UB. Himalayan Adventures representatives will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Free to explore the city on your own. o/n Hotel.

Day02. 15 June 08. Free Day at UB. Free day in Ulaanbaatar to visit the temples, monasteries, art galleries and museums. Evening concert of traditional music and dance at the theatre. You can have a look at your bikes do a little test ride and get familiar with your machines; bikes will be allotted today for the next day’s ride. Overnight hotel. (B).

Day05. 18 June. 08. Ride south towards Sainchand. o/n Ger Camp or camping. BLD. 230km.
END OF MONGOLIA RIDE.
Travel China with the luxury of BMW motorcycles, enjoy magnificent scenery as you ride through some of the most historically interesting areas in China.!

Day06. 19 June. 08. Cross the border into China, Erenhot. China agent will receive you and get allotted with the BMW machines. Rest and free to explore the nearby areas on your own. Complete paper works and all formalities. o/n Hotel.
Inner Mongolia has a peculiar natural scenery, long history and brilliant culture. There are many historic sites in this area.
But what is most attractive about Inner Mongolia is its natural beauty. Vast grasslands, including the Xilamuren Grassland, Gegentala Grassland and Huitengxile Grassland are all good places for a grassland experience. The mushroom-like yurts, bright sky, fresh air, rolling grass and the flocks and herds moving like white clouds on the remote grassland, all contribute to make the scenery a very relaxing one. While visiting Inner Mongolia you may try different activities such as Mongolian wrestling, horse & camel riding, rodeo competitions, archery, visiting traditional families and enjoying the graceful Mongolian singing and dancing. You can also visit deserts in Inner Mongolia. The deserts are located in the western part of the province: the most famous and visited ones are the Badain Jaran Desert, Tengger Desert and Kubuqi Desert.

Day07. 20 June. 08. Erenhot to Gegentala Grasslands. Appx 200km.
Visit the Inner Mongolia Museum. Look at the performance of horse-racing and wrestling, ride the horse (personal cost) visit herdsman's family, make a sacrifice on Aobao Hill. Look at the Performance of Mongolia singing and dancing or take part in the bonfire party. O/N Mongolian yurt.

Day08. 21 June.08. Gegentala Grasslands to Huhhot. (150KM, 3.5 hours).
Explore Huhhot after we check into the Hotel.
The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, bordering to the north with both the Republic of Mongolia and Russia, is the widest province in China (by its latitude). It is the third largest Chinese province (over 1.1 million square kilometers or 424,736 square miles) but not very populated. The province has about 24 million inhabitants. Many ethnic groups are living in this area including Mongolian, Daur, Oroqen, Ewenki, Hui, Han, Korea and Manchu. Hohhot is the capital of Inner Mongolia.

Day09. 22 June 08. Huhhot- Baotou. On the way visit Sand Gorge. Ride a camel, climb the sand dune and then visit Baotau. Total distance about 310km.
Baotou lies on the bleak northernmost reaches of Huang He(Yellow River),to the west of Hohhot. The name means ‘land with deer’ in Mongolian. You could try some deer meet in the Restaurants, it has lots of places to explore on your own and you can keep yourself amused here. This is a city for speclialised interest.

Day10. 23 June 08. Baotau to Yinchuan. 386km.
Yinchuan City (also called 'Phoenix City') is the capital of the region situated in the remote northwest of China. The 1000-year-old city is a famous cultural city beyond the Great Wall. The old sector of Yinchuan City to the west is green and peaceful, and contains all the places of interest. It includes the 1500-year-old Haibao Pagoda; the famous Buddhist architecture from the West Xia Kingdom Chengtiansi Pagoda; and the West Xia Imperial Tombs known as the 'Pyramids of China'. One can also find there the mystic Helan Mountain Cliff Painting, created by the ancient nomads who dwelled in the regions of the Helan Mountains in northwest Ningxia. They used a bold and descriptive chiseling and drawing technique, to which they added dazzling colors, to depict the history of a splendid Chinese civilization.

Day11. 24 June 08. Yinchuan to Zongwei. 167 km.
Zongwei lies southwest of Yinchuan sandwiched between the sand dunes of the Tengger desert to the north and Huang he’ to the south. Zongwei has a fairly relaxed pace, a nice change from the rush of most Chienese cities.

Day12. 25 June 08. Zongwei to Lanzhou. 308km.
While at Gansu province we ramble along the ancient SILK ROUTE and re-enter the historic long river, our ride through Gansu will be a memorable experience. Located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, northwest China, Gansu is one of the cradles of Chinese cultures. It occupies a total area of 450,000 square kilometers (173,700 square miles) Neighboring provinces are Shaanxi to the east, Sichuan to the south, Qinghai and Xinjiang to the west and Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the north. With a population of 23.7 million, Gansu has a multinational population which includes ethnic minority groups of Kazak, Mongolian, Tibetan, Hui, Dongxiang, Tu and Manchu. They mutually influence each other in the fields of economics, politics and culture and hold close ties with the Han people. They have thus developed a unique cultural community.
Lanzhou, a well-known ancient city in China, is the capital of Gansu. It is the second largest city in northwest China, and also the political, economic and cultural center of the province. With a long history and brilliant cultures, Gansu is abundantly endowed with cultural relics and natural scenery. Vast and graceful natural scenery like endless desert and pure glacial landscape presents an impressive and breath-taking picture before your eyes. Take for example the world-famous Mogao Grottoes. It is the largest and most well-preserved Buddhist art palace and also a post along the ancient Silk Road; the grand Jiayuguan Pass, an important outpost in ancient China, is the western end of the Great Wall; the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist resorts in China while the Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves in Lanzhou are a treasure trove of Han Buddhism. All of these are commendatory scenic spots for our tour. The traditional handicrafts in Gansu are archaized carpets (using patterns from ancient carpets), luminous cups and the duplicates of sculptures and murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.

Day13. 26 June 08. Lanzhou to Xining. 310km.
Visit Taer temple detour 80km. Total 230km. Total ride 310km with detour.
Xining is the only large city in the Qinghai and is the capital of the province. Long established as a Chinese city, it’s been a military garrison and the trading centre since 16th century. Now a days it’s also a stopover for foreigners following the Qinhai-Tibet route. Preached at an elevation of 2275m on the edge of the Tibetan plateau and it is a convenient staging post for visiting Ta er Si, Mengda Nature Reserve and Qinghai Hu. The city has a friendly feel and the streets are full of colorful markets and street stalls.

Day14. 27 June 08. Xining to Daotanghe. 102km.
The next few days we will basically traveling in the Qinghai province until we reach Lhasa, the capital of Tibet autonomous region.
Named after Qinghai Lake, the largest inland salt - water lake in China, Qinghai Province is located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in western China. Qinghai covers an area of 720,000 square kilometers (about 278,000 square miles), which makes it the fourth largest province in China. Its total population is some 5 million, among which Han, Tibetan, Tu, Hui, Salar and Mongolian minority ethnic groups are represented. Visitors are not only fascinated by the traditional festivities of different minority ethnic groups, but also by their unique cultures and folk traditions. Xining is its capital.
Qinghai's climate is characterized by short cool summers and long freezing winters. Due to drastic temperature fluctuations from day to night, summer may be the best time to visit Qinghai because this is when the road to Tibet, via Golmud is open and its climate is friendliest to its visitors Snow-covered mountains, icy peaks, deserts, vast pastures and sparkling lakes mesmerize its visitors, while flocks of rare birds and animals dot this unique and colorful natural landscape. Two of Qinghai's biggest highlights, Ta'er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery), which is considered one of the six great monasteries of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism and vast Qinghai Lake, attract nature lovers who enjoy camping, hiking and bird-watching as well as people who have a fascination with Buddhism. The 'Small Imperial Palace in Qinghai'-Qutan Monastery, snow - capped A'Nyemaqen Mountain and the 'Highland Xishuangbanna' Mengda Nature Reserve are also well-known all over the world. Culturally speaking, 'Repkong Art' displays the creative talents of the Qinghai people through painting.
Boasting a remote, ancient and mysterious land, Qinghai - is a paradise for adventurers!.

Day15. 28 June 08. Daotanghe to Dulan. 326km.
On the way we cross many interesting towns and villages of Jiangxigou, Tanakama, Dashuiqiao, Gaxun, Xarag and finally Dulan seeing varied landscapes and interesting Chinese inhabitants and everything in-between.
Day16. 29 June 08. Dulan to Golmud. 353km.
We will be traveling the interesting country side and towns of Xiangride, Nomhon and Dagur and seeing the adventurous Qinghai province to reach Golmud, which is a mining and oil drilling town, we have to stop here for our onwards journey to Lhasa. The worlds highest railroad runs from Golmud to Lhasa and was in the news sometime back after Tibet was connected with the mainland China from Golmud.

Day17. 30 June 08. Golmud to Nachitai. 90km.
Riding the Qinghai-Tibet highway we cross the settlements of Nanshanhou and Qagan Tohoi.

Day18. 01 July 08. Nachitai to Erdaogou 300km.
Riding the wild Tibet-Qinghai highway we can see peak of 6000m on this route, we cross the towns of Xiaonanchuan cross the Kunlun Shankou pass at 4767m, we cross settlements and towns of Qumar Hayan, Wudaoliang, Beiluheyan and Luanhaizi to settle for the night at Erdaogou.

Day20. 03 July 08. Mt. Thangula to Nakqu. 227km.
Today we cross the Dangla Pass at 5700m, crossing the settlements of Draknak/Amdo, Tsaring and Dangoen we are at the town of Nakqu.

Day21. 04 July 08. Nakqu to Lhasa via the Yangbachen hotsprings. 326km.
We have a lot of places to get across until we reach the interesting city of Lhasa. We will be seeing Lhoma crossing the Zangzung la pass, Damzhung, Yangpachen and Namka Ngoshi until we reach the ancient of Lhasa.

Day22. 05 July 08. Lhasa rest and sightseeing.
Lhasa- is the heart and soul of Tibet, the erstwhile abode of Dalai Lamas and the object of devout pilgrimage for practioners of Tibetain Buddhism. The Potala palace dominates the Lhasa skyline. Jokhang Temple 2km to the east of the Potala palace is the spiritual heart of the city. Encircling it is the Barkhor, the holiest of Lhasa’s devotional circumambulation circuits. It is here that most visitors first fall in love with Tibet. The medieval push and shove of crowds, the street performers, the stalls hawking every thing from prayer flags to jewel-encrusted yak skulls, and the devout tapping their foreheads to the ground at every step is an exotic brew that few newcomers can resist. o/n Lhasa.

Day23. 06 July 08. Lhasa to Gyangtse via Yamdrok Lake. 258km.
We will now head south towards Kathmandu Nepal. The 920km road between Lhasa and Kathmandu is known as the Friendship highway. This journey has been termed as one of the most spectular scenic highways in the world.
The drive to Gyantse via the Yamdrop tso/lake involves crossing a big pass at 5045m the Karo la pass with great views of the Nojin-Kangtsang Glacier.
Yamdrok lake at 4488m can be seen from the summit of the Ganba-la pass(4794m). The lake lies several hundred meters below the road and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7191). Nangartse,a small town along the way and, a 20-30minutes drive from Nngartse brings you to Samding Monastry, a charming palace with scenic views of the surrounding areas and lake.

Day24. 07 July 08. Gyangtse to Shigatse to Shakya.
Visit Tashilhunpo monastery, visit Pelkhor Chode Monastery & Kumbum Stupa (90km). Do a lot of sightseeing of Cultural interests. Later ride towards the Monastic town of Shakya at 4280m. Shakya is characterized by the ash grey painting of its Monasteries unlike the usual white colour monasteries.

Day25. 08 July 08. Shakya to Rongbuk and visit Mt. Everest base camp. 300km.
Visit the Rongbuk monastery which is the highest monastery in the world. Everest Base camp is 5200m. Ride around the nearby areas. This is the place to gaze on the stunning north face of the worlds tallest peak, Mt. Everest at 8848m. You are so close you can literally climb the big mountain!.

Day26. 09 July 08. Rongbuk to Tingri. 140km.
Today we will ride towards Tingri, a huddle of Tibetain homes bordered by huge mountains. There is little to see today but all along views of Everest and Mt. Cho Oyu compensate our ride.

Day27. 10 July 08. Tingri to Nyalam. 100km.
We can stay a night at the hotspring near Tingri, but today we head towards Nyalam and enroute visit the cave of the famous Buddhist yogi. Nyalam is a small town a one street Tibetain town with an interesting night life, check out some bars.

Day28. 11 July 08. Nyalam to Zangmu to Friendship bridge/Kodari in Nepal. End of Bike tour.
Complete the China tour, complete immigration and paper works and cross the friendship bridge and end of tour in China. Bid farewell to our China crew. Met and greet by Nepal counterpart. They will assist us with all the paper works and porterage and drive to the Last Resort.
The Last Resort is set amidst sprawling terraces, suspended on a high cliff-top gorge above the wild Bhote Kosi River and surrounded by dense jungle and pristine forest. Limited access across our purpose built bridge guarantees privacy in this magnificent area. The grounds of the resort are meticulously landscaped and luxurious safari tents are spaciously set in lush gardens to ensure guests a quiet and peaceful stay in an exotic setting. Dinner and Overnight at the Last Resort. It is also possible to try some bungee jumping in one of Asia’s highest bungee jumping spots.

Day29. 12 July 08. Drive to Kathmandu. 101 KM.
Enroute we will visit the ancient city of Bhaktapur which is a world heritage site. Drive through the nepali country side to reach Kathmandu. Be free to relax in your Hotel. Do shopping, massage or just explore the Kathmandu city on your own. o/n Kathmandu.

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PLEASE NOTE: Given the nature of this expedition involving many countries, provinces. This is a “best-fit” itinerary and may need to be changed from time to time due to amended timetables, weather and road conditions, political expediency and/or on advice from our local ground agent. It is not always possible to comply with plans made in advance, so a flexible attitude is essential.

While at given the road conditions, BMWs are not ideally suited to ride deserts and the highway conditions so we will provide Yamaha WR250s. Which has been a very good machine and just the right weight to ride from to the China-Mongolia border. You will be riding this machine for 3 days in the desert and the sparsely populated country sides of . What is included in the tour Price.
-Motorcycle rental as per motorcycle booked with back up spares and crew through out tour.
-Petrol cost included in Mongolia.
-All airport transfers.
-Accommodation in 3-4 star hotels in cities and where not available guest house accommodation or Ger camps In Mongolia on Full board unless specified.
-Back up vehicles as support with crew. Your luggage will be carried by the support vehicles.
-All paper works, permits for various provinces in .
-Hotels and meals as mentioned in the Itinerary. This will be confirmed prior to departure. -Permits.
-First aid kit and oxygen.
-English Speaking Local guide will be on tour throughout in all places. What is not included.
-Petrol costs in China.
-Personal shopping and bar and beverage costs.
-Tips and gratuities optional.
-Laundry service, telephone calls and use of business centers in Hotels.
-International flights, for the outgoing flights let us know where you want to fly we can arrange that for you and let you know the options.

VISAS.
You need to get and visa from your home country. Single entry visa will be fine. Please enquire from your home country.
Visa we can arrange it on arrival. Please carry passport size photos this is always helpful while you travel.
For the Mongolia-China-Nepal Tour you need to arrive at Ulan Batar on your own. Let us know your flight details and we will arrange transfers for you. Please note the departure dates. You could also 2-3 days earlier on your own but let us know and we can arrange transfers and hotels. If you have details not answered on this site please contact us.Once you confirm your booking we will send you our booking form, terms and conditions and othet details.